Five Facial Washes Speed Reviewed! Clean & Clear,Witch,Neutrogena & Dead Sea Spa Magik

For this post on facial washes I am handing over to my guest reviewer, my good friend Victoria. I am not a huge fan of facial washes and having found myself awash with the items I thought I would pass them on to someone who does use them.

I use facial washes every day as I find they’re not as harsh as soap and water plus they usually have better scents! For reference my skin type is sensitive and can be dry.

Neutrogena Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit Daily Scrub £4.49 for 150ml -  With powerful MicroClear technology, exfoliating micro-beads and refreshing pink grapefruit.

I loved the colour of this scrub, I do like products that look good on the bathroom shelf. I really liked the smell of this facial scrub and it gently exfoliated, leaving my skin feeling very fresh afterwards.

Clean & Clear’s Morning Energy Skin Brightening Daily Facial Scrub £3.99 for 150ml -  with bursting beads and lemon & papaya extracts.

Another good colour for my bathroom! This smelt very summery and fruity, a bit like an ice lolly! It felt refreshing on my skin.

Clean & Clear Morning Energy Skin Energising Daily Facial Wash £3.99 for 150ml - with bursting beads and vitamin C & ginseng.

Once again, I liked the bright and cheery colour and it felt invigorating and refreshing with a pleasant kind of zingy smell.

Witch Naturally Clear Gentle Exfoliating Wash £3.99 for 150ml - Contains Witch hazel extract, Rice powder: natural exfoliating particles to deep cleanse pores, Willow bark extract. Product is SLS and SLES free.

The Witch was ok, but didn't have much of a scent; I'm always drawn to strong fruity smells. It lathered quite well and exfoliated gently. Think it was perhaps a little too harsh for my skin though.

I could tell that this was not a favourite for Victoria due to the initial feedback I received. This is designed for combination/oily skin so unsurprisingly was not a good match for her skin type.

Dead Sea Spa Magik Gentle Cleansing Facial Wash £8.80 for 150ml - Suitable for all skin types. Contains a special blend of natural ingredients to penetrate deep seated impurities.

This was my husband’s favourite. He was really impressed with how it got rid of the oiliness of his skin. I found it quite invigorating, but didn’t like the smell too much. I did like the creamy texture though.

As for my favourite, I really couldn’t choose between any of the first three – Neutrogena and the two from Clean & Clear. All of them were fairly similar in scent, texture and how they left my skin feeling. I’d buy all of these facial washes and scrubs again

Thanks so much Victoria for the reviews.. I am wondering have you tried other types of cleansers, in particular cream ones? They may be better if your skin has a tendency to dryness.

Do you have similar skin to Victoria? What cleansers work for you?

Superdrug Simply Pure Range for Sensitive Skin

I was sent the Simply Pure range from Superdrug for review purposes - as it is for sensitive skin I asked one of my oldest friends (we have been friends since we were 5!), Vic to review it for me - Incidentally Vic is a very talented photographer and craft maker, you can see what she does by clicking here.

When Bettina handed me these Simply Pure products for sensitive skin to review, I had to double-check with her that they were Superdrug! I haven’t used any Superdrug products for quite a few years and am very impressed with the look of these four items. The clean, simple packaging really suits the products’ ‘simple’ ethos and looks classy at the same time.


The four products in question are:  

Calming Cleanser

Gentle Facial Wash

Refreshing Toner

SPF15 Face Cream

They all have that unfragranced ‘fragrance’! It’s hard to describe, but I always find that fragrance-free products have that lovely fresh, distant baby-like scent. This is perfect for me as I don’t like heavy scents in facial products.

The cleanser is non-greasy and most certainly removed lots of grime from the day. I then used the facial wash, which I was pleased to find was quite a thick, clear gel. It felt refreshing on the skin and didn’t leave my skin feeling as tight as other facial washes have in the past. After the facial wash, I used the toner. I don’t always use toner as part of my skincare routine, but this again, felt refreshing and allowed me to leave putting on the moisturiser longer... I always find I have to rush and moisturise after washing my face! So, the face cream... A definite plus is the SPF15. I’d been using a moisturiser with SPF12, so a little higher for the summer is certainly a good thing. The cream itself is non-greasy and quite thick, which I liked. 

I’ve been using these products for nearly a month now and haven’t had any adverse reactions at all and my skin is pretty sensitive! I’d definitely recommend all of Superdrug’s Simply Pure products. They do the job at an affordable price and look good on your bathroom shelf too!

Thanks so much Vic for this review, glad you liked the products. 

Superdrug Simply Pure products are paraben free, hypoallergenic, dermatologically approved and suitable for vegetarians and vegans. All products listed cost £2.59 each

Yes To Tomatoes Range - Facial Wash, Facial Lotion and Facial Mask

The Yes To Tomatoes range is from the creators of the Yes To Carrots stable of products and is aimed at people with oily / combination skin. As my skin is "combination", I was very interested in trying out this range.

Once again it promises that it is 99.6% Natural, Petroleum SLS and Paraben free - this time using tomatoes as its vital ingredient: lycopene is a known and powerful anti-oxidant. Other key ingredients are Rosemary, Red Peppers and Water Melon!

So what did I think of it ....

Facial Wash - £8.99 for 100mls

This product claims to maintain your skin's pH balance while removing excess oils and impurities, purifying the complexion.

Readers of my blog will know I have a strong preference for hot cloth cleansing. For some reason I just prefer it to splashing water on my face directly. However, if you prefer facial washes I think you will like this. From the description I was a bit worried about what it would smell like but I needn't have worried as the smell was rather pleasant and not overpowering.

I put a small amount on my wet face and then massaged it in. Washing it off was interesting... it was really bubbly and felt like it was fizzing and foaming around my nose, which I found strange as we are in a hard water area. I found it quite time consuming as I wasn't really sure whether it had all gone! Afterwards my skin tightened once dried which I don't really like either. It did leave my skin very clean though and blemish free after a few uses.

I am aware that some people like the tightening effect, it just wasn't for me.

The packaging is a screw top tube which will mean you will need two hands to open it which you may or may not find an issue, but I do find the packaging design appealing, fresh and clear.

Facial Mask - £11.99 for 50mls.

This is described as a deep pore treatment that refines, purifies and moisturises.

I was looking forward to using the mask. I really enjoy my current twice weekly treatment from Dermalogica and was ready to see if it was going to upstage it and provide even better results.

This is similar to a traditional clay mask - green in colour, cold and thick. You only need to apply a thin layer  for it to dry quickly and evenly drawing out the impurities.

Unfortunately I was only able to use this once as it stung. Actually, my face felt like it was on fire around my nostrils and cheek area!  I kept it on for the 5 minutes as per the instructions and the sensation did subside. I then used a damp face cloth to wash it off, followed by a splash of cool water before finally patting dry.

My face was a little red after use but did not feel tender. It felt very soft and hydrated but not exceptionally clearer than when I have used other masks. As it stung I don't think I will be trying it again.

Facial Hydrating Lotion - £11.99 for 50mls.

I absolutely love this moisturiser.  It smells lovely and pleasant, very hard to describe actually but definitely not tomatoes! I would say, if anything, with a very slight hint of Vanilla. It goes on very smoothly, absorbs quickly with a nice texture and doesn't feel heavy or overly rich. This left my skin feeling extremely soft and hydrated all day. I have been looking for a new moisturiser and this product has been sent to the top of my favourite moisturiser's list.

It comes in a pump bottle which I like as it isn't messy at all. The only minor bugbear I have is that the label is just stuck on so it is rolling off already -  not a great look when on display in the bathroom.

All products are available to purchase at victoriahealth or Debenhams Stores Nationwide